Car-roof.



G. VERMEULEN.

GAR ROOF.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 6, 1912.

Patented Apr. 1

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Sube/wko@ @i Vermaak@ G. VBRMEULEN.

GAR ROOF.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. e, 1912.

]I@57,51 il I Patented Apr. 1, 11913.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

GEORGE vERMEULEN, or BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON.

CAR-ROOF.

Application led August 6, 1912. Serial No. 713,635.

Speciication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. '1, 191 a.

To all whom t may concern Be it'known that I, GEORGE VERMEULEN, citizen of the United States, residing at Bellingham, in the county of Whatcom and State of `Washington, have invented cert-ain new and useful Improvements in Car-Roofs,

turned.

The invention is illustrated in 'the accomanying drawings and will :be hereinafter ully described, the novel features subsequently being more particularly pointed out in the claims following the description.

`In the drawings: vFigure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of my improved roof showing its application to a passanger coach; Fig. 2 1s a transverse vertical sec-` tion of the same; Fig. 3 isa detail perspective of a portion of one of the supports for the roof.

The car 1 is ofthe usual construction ex-v cept that the roof 2 thereof is not extended entirely across the same but terminates short; of the central longitudinal line thereof so` as to provide a central longitudinal open-l ing extending between the vest-ibuled ends of the car. Within the carare provided a plurality of transverse steel 'ribsor arches 3 which extend rup `the sides of the car and' across the top thereof and .have their cen tral portions off-set downwardly to provide seats consisting of side bars 4 and a cross bar 5 connectingthe said side bars, the said.

side bars depending from the vmain top portions of the arches or ribs, as clearly shown.v

rlhe seats are so proportioned that the upper ends of their side bars will lie flush with the edges of the central opening in the car roof, and within the said central opening and resting upon the said seats is my improved detachable roof consisting of an upper plate 6 and a plurality of air compartments 7 on the under side of the said vtop plate. The air compartments are defined by partitions 8 and side Walls 9 depending from the .top plate 6 and a'bottom plate 10 eX 4tending between the lower edges of the side walls 9 and across the lower edges of .the

partitionsl 8. The said partitions extend both longitudinallyand transversely ofthe roof, and all ofthe joints are clos'ed by lbrazing or otherwise so that leakage of air cannot occur. The edges ofthe top 'plate or cover 6 kproject beyond the side and end walls of .the air compartments. so as to rest vupon the fixed roof 2 and upon the vesti-y bule roofs l1, as clearly shown, and the projecting portions may be equipped with rubber or other gaskets 12 to prevent'the entrance of water under 'the detachable roof and `into the car.

The end walls 1 3 of the air compartments at ythe ends vof the detachable roof are inclined, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, to rest upon .triangular projections 14 built upon the end .walls of the car or upon the vestibulesof the same, andthe side wallsof the air compartments are likewise inclined inwardlyand downwardly, this construction facilitating the entrance of the air compartlments through the opening in the xed roof of kthe car l'body When the parts are being assembled.

It is thought that the advantages of my device will .be readily understood fromthe foregoing ydescription rtaken in connection with the accompanying drawings. The air compartments ofthe detachable roof impart buoyancy thereto so that if al coach should be yderailed lby any cause and drop vinto a ybodyofwater, the detachable roof willfloat off vfrom the car thereby leaving an opening in thetop of the car through which the .passengers may escape. .Moreover, the buoyancy'of vthe detachable roof will permit it tobe utilized as a, raftupon which the passengers may ride to safety. [Should the coach be overturned or be caught in a land or snow-slide, the detachable roof will be thrown from itsI positionand the passengers may then pass out thro-ugh the fixed roof of the car.l Should the coach be caught in a collision which would Itend-to dismember the car, the impact ofthe colliding cars will cause the triangular projections 14 to immediatelyshove the detachable roof upward from its position so that a means of egress will be provided for the passengers.

v4The device may be made of any dimen- 110 sions or shape so as to be applied to any style of car, and may be produced at a loW cost.

By providing a plurality of air colnpart the compartments being destroyed at one time is so slight as to be negligible.

Having lthus'described my invention, what is claimed is: l

1. The combination of a car roof having acentral opening, arches supporting said roof and extending across said opening provided at their centers With seats ldisposed below said opening, a cover resting upon the said roof, and sealed air compartments 'carried by said cover and passing through the .opening in the roof to fit upon the said seats. 2. The combination of a car roof having a central opening, transverse arches Within the car supportingsaid roof 'and having upper depressed portions extending across said opening belon'T the same, acover resting upon the roof, andsealed air compartments carried by said cover and passing through the opening in the roof to it upon the depressed portions of the arches.

In testimony whereof I aHiX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGEVERMEULEN. LL. 5.]

Witnesses:

i/ XLFRED L. BLACK, EDWARD M. WILSON. 

